Two-Way Street by Vanessa

In the beginning of each school year, many teachers spend a lot of time getting to know their students. I think it’s important for my students to also get to know me -- it’s a twoway street. This process helps us build relationships and strengthens our classroom community or “family."

For example, I had to fly home to attend a wedding very early in the school year. I told the students I was going on an airplane to attend a wedding and to see my family. They were full of questions, fascinated that I had a family that lived far away. We discussed weddings and families, and we got to know each other better in the process. I learned that several students had grandparents living in Mexico -- which we determined was also “far away” -- and a few others had attended weddings before.

Recently, the entire class has become fascinated with my childhood. This happened by accident one day while the students were reading books during B.E.A.R. (Be Excited About Reading) time. Isabel brought a book from one of the book boxes to me.

Isabel: Look, teacher, there’s a number 6 and a number 9 on this book!

Me: Yes, Isabel, those numbers are the price. That means that book cost 69 cents.

Isabel: That’s a lot!

Me: Actually, this book is very special because it’s very old. It used to belong to me when I was little. We can tell it’s old because books cost a lot more than 69 cents today.

Isabel: Wow! You were little?

Isabel ran over to tell all her friends the big news.

Soon, the questions began:

Ricardo: When you were little, did you go to school?

Me: Yes, of course I went to school.

Isabel: Did you have a teacher?

Me: Yes, I had many different teachers.

Ricardo: Did you have an alarm clock? (Didn’t see that one coming...)

Me: Yes, I did. Do you have an alarm clock?

Ricardo: Yeah, I got a High School Musical one. What kind do you have?

Me: Well, now I have one that plays music. But when I was your age, I had a Snoopy alarm clock.

Several students all at once: Who’s Snoopy?

These types of conversations lead to a stronger classroom unit. By sharing stories about my life, the students open up and share their stories. Bonding like this makes classroom management and discipline much easier. Students begin to see me as a real person, and not just somebody who is in charge.

Comments

[Vanessa]

Just wanted to give you an update on this entry. On Valentine's Day I received 2 Snoopy cards and a Snoopy Whitman's sampler :) It's amazing how powerful these conversations with children are!
-Vanessa

[bemused]

My daughter, a newly-minted kindergarten teacher teaching across the continent from our home had a similar experience. One of her kids at the beginning of the year was upset about being away from her mom, and my daughter said "I understand you miss your mom, I miss mine too". Leading to the comment "Ms. Bemused, you don't have a mom!" and a subsequent discussion of families.

Later my daughter made a wall with pictures of families near their quiet area, so the kids could see pictures of their parents and siblings as a way to calm themselves or be comforted when classroom stress got too high. My daughter has a picture of us there, and this has been the subject of much discussion by her kids.